iPad and iOS 5 Tips: How To Turn on AirPlay Mirroring on the iPad 2

AirPlay Mirroring is one of the coolest new features in iOS 5 for the iPad 2. It allows you to stream everything that happens on your iPad 2 wirelessly to an HDTV via Apple TV (2nd gen only).

When it’s turned on everything you do on the iPad, regardless of what app you’re in or what you’re doing, is mirrored to the TV screen – hence the name. It can be used to take your iPad gaming to a whole new level (check out Real Racing 2 HD to see a game that fully exploits this), to show a slideshow of favorite photos, to be able to walk around a room while running a presentation from the iPad 2, or for any number of similar purposes.

Here’s what you need to do to turn on AirPlay Mirroring on your iPad 2:

— Have iOS 5 installed on your iPad 2

— Make sure your Apple TV software is up-to-date. You can check for updates on the Apple TV by going to Settings > General > Update Software.

— Have your TV turned with Apple TV active and showing.

— Double-tap the home button on the iPad to bring up the Multitasking Bar.

— Swipe to move to the left of the Multitasking Bar, so you can see the set of controls just to the left of the volume adjustment slider.

— The button just to the right of the Fast Forward button – the one that has a rectangle with a solid, upward-facing arrow in it – is the AirPlay button. Tap to switch from iPad to Apple TV.

— Once you do that you’ll see the Mirroring section appear just below the entry for Apple TV. Just tap to turn that On, and the iPad 2 will immediately begin mirroring to your TV screen.

— To turn AirPlay Mirroring off, just double-tap the home button again, tap the AirPlay button, and toggle Mirroring to off.

20 thoughts on “iPad and iOS 5 Tips: How To Turn on AirPlay Mirroring on the iPad 2”

Except it doesn’t work. I just got both only to find out AppleTV out of the box is incompatible (I actually went out and got one after reading this) apparently, the update that allows this bricked thousands of Apple TVs and Apple pulled it indefinitely.

No AirPlay for 4s either, guess I’m returning the Apple TV as Apple has yet to acknoledge the problem.

Well, you guy’s should exercise some patience. I have had the old and the current ATVs, the current version updates fine without any ‘bricking’, in fact you can ‘unbrick’ any iOS device with a little patience, after all it’s just a computer. AirPlay is awesome. ;)

It is awesome…when it’s working. Mine was working fine and now it isn’t. I was visiting my daughter and anxious to show them the mirroring. But it isn’t working, the audio comes through but the video doesn’t. AirPlay works but not mirroring.

Yes. It works really well. You need to upgrade your AppleTV to the latest firmware and ensure both devices are on the same wireless network. You need to configure your AppleTV and turn on AirPlay option.

Mirroring works great. One app that doesn’t work is HBO Go. When mirroring is turned on while running the app a message appears on the TV that says HBO Go does not currently support HDMI video output from this device. HBO needs to get their act together!

Same problems… The ipad2 is up to date as is the atv3 that I just purchased… No AirPlay icon showing up after double tap or swiping. I’ve tried restarting both tv and pad, resigning to iTunes on the pad… Nothing…. Very frustrated… I’d love to have this mirroring work…. Help please.:)